First-ever soft landing on the Moon’s far side (January 2019). Its Yutu-2 (玉兔二号) rover is, according to CLEP, the longest-operating lunar rover in history and remains in extended operation.
As of: 01 Jun 2026.
ongoingLunar far side · lander & rover
Chang'e-4
嫦娥四号
As of: 01/06/2026Planned: launched 2018/2019
Yutu-2 rover, deployed by Chang’e-4 on the lunar far side — CNSA (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY 4.0 · License → · Source →
Overview
Quick facts
- Status
- ongoing
- Planned
- launched 2018/2019
- Launch vehicle
- Long March 3B (CZ-3B)
- Launch site
- Xichang Satellite Launch Center
- Operator
- CLEP / CNSA
Mission goals
- First-ever soft landing on the Moon's far side
- Studying the geological composition of the South Pole–Aitken Basin
- Testing relay communications via the Queqiao satellite
Timeline / milestones
- December 2018Launch
- January 2019Soft landing in Von Kármán crater on the Moon's far side
- since 2019Yutu-2 rover still active — the longest-operating lunar rover in history
Scientific results / significance
A historic milestone as the first-ever landing on the Moon's far side. The Yutu-2 rover continues to return data on the regolith and subsurface composition of the South Pole–Aitken Basin, one of the oldest and largest impact structures in the Solar System.
Video
— No verified video link yet.